By: Laura Bennett
In the lead up to Christmas there are two types of people: those eagerly awaiting the onslaught of holiday movies and Mariah Carey’s impending radio arrival, and those who flinch at the site of red and green and wish Will Ferrell never donned an elf suit.
If you’re the first kind, Lindsay Lohan’s Netflix release Falling for Christmas is for you.
After suffering a skiing accident and getting separated from her boyfriend, newly engaged heiress Sierra Belmont (Lindsay Lohan) is diagnosed with amnesia. During her recovery she finds herself in the care of a handsome lodge owner Jake (Chord Overstreet) and his daughter Avy (Olivia Perez). Without remembering who she is and where she came from, Sierra explores a life beyond the elite one she’s known and ultimately must decide which she’s better suited to.
Knowing the Netflix Christmas movie formula, there’s no prizes for guessing where the story ends, or what scenes it covers along the way: the romantic montage, a girl coming down a staircase in a showstopping dress and a rush to make it to a leaving plane/train/automobile.
The question is, does that really matter? Do we care that we know exactly what’s going to happen?
For the Christmas movie tragics, the answer is a big fat “no”. It’s Christmastime and Christmastime is for corny storylines, love and hope and the belief that things can turn out well.
Christmastime is for corny storylines, love and hope, and the belief that things can turn out well.
These kinds of movies are a 90-minute escape from the rules of real life where ski accidents result in broken bones and hospital stays, and where fiancés aren’t comically annoying and disposable when sweet lumberjacks come along.
In a time where real life has been hard for a lot of people, the simplicity of a story that goes from A to B in a fairly predictable manner could just be the comfort they need. It’s “life lite” as the saccharin sweetness of Falling for Christmas makes it easier to consider things like controlling family dynasties, dysfunctional relationships and changing values without it feeling exhausting and confrontational.
This movie is a low-stakes feature film return for Lindsay Lohan, bringing her back into the realm of likeable comedy and love stories that early fans enjoyed. After a tough few years dealing with the pitfalls of childhood fame, her casting is a genre-appropriate suggestion that things can eventually be OK.
This movie is a low-stakes feature film return for Lindsay Lohan, bringing her back into the realm of likeable comedy and love stories that early fans enjoyed.
Don’t expect any reference to the reason for the season in Falling for Christmas, but it does carry a message about coming back to what’s important in life and considering the effect of your actions on others.
Falling for Christmas is streaming on Netflix now.
Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.
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About the Author: Laura Bennett is a media professional, broadcaster and writer from Sydney, Australia.